Very Special E-mail From Our Barbara

Barbara Walters -- yes, that Barbara Walters! -- has been sending us e-mails. Every Friday, in fact, we amble over to our in-box, and there's another note from the award-winning ABC News anchor. It's like a mint left on our pillow.

Walters is the only multimillionaire celebrity and TV journalism legend who writes to us regularly. We'd be flattered, except that she also writes to 57,000 other people who've signed up since January for her weekly letter at ABCNews.com.

Ostensibly, Walters writes to tell us what stories are going to air on 20/20, the program she co-hosts. But there's more to it than that. Every week, we learn a tiny bit about 20/20 and a lot about . . . Barbara Walters. Every week, she shares. It's safe to say that no TV news star -- maybe no one on TV -- shares like Barbara Walters.

"I took my absolutely adorable, brilliant, little dog, Cha Cha, to the vet for her checkup," she wrote in early May. "Needless to say, he pronounced her perfect. I also made a keynote address at a charity luncheon for Down syndrome. These mentally challenged people live very constructive lives as a result of new understanding in the field. So, it's been a busy time for me.

"Coming up this Saturday, I will be participating in the Revlon Run/Walk for breast cancer. And Sunday night, I will be part of the NBC -- yes -- NBC's 75th anniversary celebration. After all, I was on the Today show for almost 15 years."

A few weeks later, the subject was celebrities. And terrorism. And sometimes both at the same time.

May 23: "I was very busy this week with a bunch of superstars on The View: Liza Minnelli, looking great and slim, sang `Maybe This Time I'll Win,' which was written specially for her. She has already won. Whoopi Goldberg made us laugh and J. Lo herself -- who would prefer being called Jennifer -- was as warm and un-diva-like as you could find.

"We who live in New York were particularly concerned this week with new reports of possible terrorist attacks on our city, particularly on landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. I chanced to be at a dinner the other night attended by our calm mayor, Michael Bloomberg. He told me that the threats were unsubstantiated. Though there is, of course, always the chance of a terrorist attack, he was reasonably comfortable."

May 29: "I had a quiet holiday weekend in the country. During the weekend, I was with some friends, all of whom live in New York City, and we were discussing how -- if at all -- our lives had changed since Sept. 11 and what -- if anything -- we were doing to prepare in case of another attack. One couple said they had packed bags since Sept. 12 with a portable radio, gas masks, hazard suits and all kinds of supplies -- and they had even rented an apartment outside of the city. The rest of us thought that was pretty extreme. One member of our party is a well-known journalist who has been covering terrorism for the past year. He said he was going to join a voluntary squad in New York being formed to try to help others during an attack. Another friend said she would take two aspirin, close her door and lie down. All of them were serious. The bottom line is, no one really knows what to do.

"On Monday, I flew to Chicago to do an interview with a most-beloved entertainer (Carol Burnett) . . .

"On the way home, at the Chicago airport, I was once more chosen randomly to have my carry-on bag searched, and I was asked to take my shoes off -- as the efficient attendant told me how much she enjoyed my work. So much for fame."

One of the neat features of Walters' correspondence is her reviews of her own work. For instance, she called her recent interview with Tatum O'Neal "touching and compelling." She also called it "explosive," "volatile" and "no-holds-barred." Here's how she's assessed several other recent efforts:

Interview with Anne Heche: "A conversation starter."

Interview with Carol Burnett: "Almost a full hour of laughter and tears. . . . You will laugh, cry . . . and be inspired."

Interviews with the fathers of two suspected Saudi hijackers: "Headline-making."

And she's been letting us in on some good-natured office high jinks over there at ABC News.

"On another subject, here is a note I am going to tease my partner, John Miller, about -- endlessly," she wrote two weeks ago. "Jeane from Florida wrote to say that she was delighted to learn John was single: `Let's just say this 47-year-old female is so glad to have someone to dream about. I have always been a 20/20 fan, but I have to admit I watch more now!' What's next? A Miller fan club?"